Standards For Nursing Practice

Nursing practice is accountable for the quality of nursing services. The nurse collaborates with other health care providers and the client to protect, promote and restore health. The nurse promotes self-care by providing information, education and resources regarding self-care options as needed. The nurse provides safe and competent care utilizing the nursing process within scope of practice. The nurse maintains records consistent with regulatory requirements, legal standards and organizational policies. The nurse contributes to the profession through activities such as research, publications, presentations and participation in organizations.

Nursing practice is accountable for the quality of nursing services.

Nurses are accountable for the quality of nursing services. Nurses are accountable for the care they provide to their patients. Nurses are accountable for the decisions they make that affect the health, safety, and well-being of their patients.

Nurses are accountable for their actions, which may include failure to follow policies and procedures or failure to document care appropriately.

Nurses are also held accountable when they fail to adhere to standards in patient safety as outlined in practice guidelines or other standards of care such as those set by The Joint Commission (TJC)

The nurse collaborates with other health care providers and the client to protect, promote and restore health.

Collaboration is a vital part of nursing practice. Other health care providers may include physicians, pharmacists and other members of the multidisciplinary team. The client is an individual or group that the nurse cares for in order to promote and restore health.

The nurse promotes self-care by providing information, education and resources regarding self-care options as needed.

Nurses have a responsibility to promote self-care by providing information, education and resources.

Information. The nurse should provide patients with printed materials or online resources that support the goals of their self-care plan (e.g., nutrition tips). Education. Nurses can also help patients understand how their disease process affects them physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally; what they can do at home to promote good health; how to manage common side effects from medications; when medical treatment is needed; when it is time for hospice care; etc. Resources. Nurses may assist patients in accessing community resources such as physical therapy facilities (PT), occupational therapy facilities (OT), home healthcare agencies or transportation services that can help with basic needs such as bathing assistance if needed

The nurse provides safe and competent care utilizing the nursing process within scope of practice.

You must use the nursing process, which is a systematic approach to managing clients’ health care needs. The process consists of five steps:

• Assessment. Obtain data about the client’s cognitive, emotional, and physical status from the client and from other sources such as medical records; make notes in the client’s chart concerning assessment findings.
• Nursing diagnosis. Determine whether there is an existing problem or whether a problem exists that may require nursing intervention for planned outcomes to be achieved.
• Formulation/planning. Develop an individualized plan of care based on information obtained during assessment as well as current knowledge of health promotion and disease prevention strategies related to specific health problems encountered with clients within scope of practice at all stages of life (adolescence through adulthood).
• Implementation/assignment/evaluation phase includes implementation, assignment or discharge planning; evaluation by defining goals achieved (i) during therapy sessions; (ii) upon discharge home when applicable; (iii) during follow-up visits.”

The nurse maintains records consistent with regulatory requirements, legal standards and organizational policies.

This standard pertains to the nurse’s responsibility for maintaining records consistent with regulatory requirements, legal standards and organizational policies.

The purpose of record keeping is to:

• Communicate patient care plans and progress through the continuum of care.
• Ensure continuity in care (e.g., discharge planning).
• Document evidence of performance according to professional standards and federal/state/local laws or regulations (e.g., reporting adverse events).

The nurse contributes to the profession through activities such as research, publications, presentations and participation in organizations.

You are encouraged to contribute in ways that are important to you. Your contributions may be through research, publications, presentations and participation in organizations. You may wish to consider the following:

• How can I make a positive contribution?
• What am I passionate about?
• What do I want my legacy as an RN to be?

There are standards that nurses can use to guide their work.

Standards for nursing practice are used to guide your work and ensure quality of care. The standards are based on the best available research, consensus building with experts in the field, and input from nurses across the country. These standards serve as goals for all nurses, regardless of specialty or experience level.

Standards can be used in many ways:

• To protect, promote and restore health
• To promote self-care (e.g., helping patients learn how to manage their medications/fever)
• To provide safe and competent care

The standards of nursing practice are designed to ensure that nurses provide safe and competent care that meets the needs of clients. The standards also promote quality improvement activities, which are important because they allow us to constantly improve our practices.